July 4 (Reuters) - Alan Johnston, the BBC journalist held hostage in Gaza, was freed and handed over to Palestinian officials on Wednesday after a late-night deal with the al Qaeda-inspired group that kidnapped him in March.

Here is a chronology of his kidnapping.

March 12 - Johnston disappears while driving in Gaza.

May 9 - The little-known "Jaysh al Islam" group, or Army of Islam, says it kidnapped him and posts a photo of his BBC identification card on the Internet.

May 17 - Johnston's 45th birthday.

June 1 - Nearly three months after the abduction, Johnston's captors release an Internet video demanding Britain free Muslim prisoners, particularly the Islamist cleric Abu Qatada. The video shows Johnston wearing a baggy red sweater. He says he is in good health and being treated well.

June 14 - Islamist Hamas fighters take control of Gaza after a series of battles with the rival Fatah faction.

June 18 - Hamas says it is pressing the kidnappers to free him by the end of the day.

June 19 - It says it will try to free him by force is he is not released.

June 20 - BBC staff round the world observe a silence to mark 100 days since the abduction.

June 24 - A one-minute-long video of Johnston wearing an explosives belt is posted by the Army of Islam on a Web site used by militants. Johnston looks tired but unharmed and appeals to Hamas and the British government "not to resort to tactics of force in an effort to end this".

June 25 - Family and colleagues of Johnston urge his captors not to harm him after he appeared in the video with the belt.

July 4 - Johnston freed and handed over to Palestinian officials.

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